Spinal Interventions
Minimally invasive means a faster recovery
If you have vertebral compression fractures, you might be able to have a minimally invasive spinal intervention to treat them. During the procedure, an interventional radiologist uses images of your spine to guide the procedure, injecting bone cement to stabilize the affected bones.
Overview
If you have vertebral compression fractures, you might be able to have a minimally invasive spinal intervention to treat them. During the procedure, an interventional radiologist uses images of your spine to guide the procedure, injecting bone cement to stabilize the affected bones.
Stabilizing Collapsed Vertebra with Bone Cement
A vertebral compression fracture means the front of your vertebra has broken or collapsed. Your vertebral compression fracture may be the result of injury or disease affecting the bones of your spine.
Interventional procedures to treat these fractures and relieve your pain include:
Vertebroplasty
During vertebroplasty, your doctor will insert a needle into your collapsed vertebra and then inject polymeric bone cement into your bone. This will stabilize your collapsed vertebra.
Kyphoplasty
If you have kyphoplasty, your doctor will insert two needles and two balloons into your collapsed vertebra. The balloons are then inflated to compress the bone and create a cavity (empty space). The doctor will inject bone cement into the empty space to stabilize your collapsed vertebra.
Sacroplasty
Sacroplasty involves inserting one or more needles into your fractured sacrum (lower back) and injecting polymeric bone cement into the bone. This stabilizes the sacrum.
How Interventional Procedures Work
If you need a spinal intervention procedure, your doctor will take images – X-rays, CT scanning, MRI or ultrasound. The images are used to guide special instruments into your arteries, veins and other parts of your body to deliver treatments.
What to Expect
Stabilizing Collapsed Vertebra with Bone Cement
A vertebral compression fracture means the front of your vertebra has broken or collapsed. Your vertebral compression fracture may be the result of injury or disease affecting the bones of your spine.
Interventional procedures to treat these fractures and relieve your pain include:
Vertebroplasty
During vertebroplasty, your doctor will insert a needle into your collapsed vertebra and then inject polymeric bone cement into your bone. This will stabilize your collapsed vertebra.
Kyphoplasty
If you have kyphoplasty, your doctor will insert two needles and two balloons into your collapsed vertebra. The balloons are then inflated to compress the bone and create a cavity (empty space). The doctor will inject bone cement into the empty space to stabilize your collapsed vertebra.
Sacroplasty
Sacroplasty involves inserting one or more needles into your fractured sacrum (lower back) and injecting polymeric bone cement into the bone. This stabilizes the sacrum.
How Interventional Procedures Work
If you need a spinal intervention procedure, your doctor will take images – X-rays, CT scanning, MRI or ultrasound. The images are used to guide special instruments into your arteries, veins and other parts of your body to deliver treatments.
Write down questions for your provider in advance so you don’t forget them at your appointment. Your questions may include;
- Does it hurt to have a spinal intervention?
- What kind of anesthesia will I have?
- Can I go home the same day?
- Do I need someone to drive me home after the procedure?
- How long will the spinal intervention last?
- Can I have more than one vertebra treated at once?
- Is the cement substance safe to have in my body?
- How many spinal interventions have you done?
- What success rate have your patients had with these treatments?
- Will my pain be gone after the procedure?
- Is there a recovery period after having this treatment?
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Spinal Interventions
Write down questions for your provider in advance so you don’t forget them at your appointment. Your questions may include;
- Does it hurt to have a spinal intervention?
- What kind of anesthesia will I have?
- Can I go home the same day?
- Do I need someone to drive me home after the procedure?
- How long will the spinal intervention last?
- Can I have more than one vertebra treated at once?
- Is the cement substance safe to have in my body?
- How many spinal interventions have you done?
- What success rate have your patients had with these treatments?
- Will my pain be gone after the procedure?
- Is there a recovery period after having this treatment?
Mar 07
After more than 60 years of marriage, you get used to doing things together — including having back surgery in the same week. Dean Shoff, 87, says he had immediate relief post-surgery for spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis happens when the space inside the spinal canal shrinks. This puts pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves that travel through the spinal canal. It commonly occurs lower back, which for Dean was in his lumbar spine. The condition is often caused by age-related wear and tear. Some people have no symptoms. Unfortunately for Dean, that was not the case. After suffering with symptoms for a year and a half, he shares, “I could hardly walk a couple of weeks before the surgery.” Dean and Phyllis Shoff The Shoffs live on a farm in Flora, Ind. Although retired, Dean still takes care of the chickens. He had to stop taking care of them last summer because it was just too painful. He was relying heavily on a walker to get around. ‘Spinal stenosis can lead to the slow but steady loss of strength in the legs,” explains Rayhan Jalal, MD, FRCSC, orthopedics and sports medicine surgeon who operated on Dean at Arnett
Patient Stories for Spinal Interventions
Mar 07
After more than 60 years of marriage, you get used to doing things together — including having back surgery in the same week. Dean Shoff, 87, says he had immediate relief post-surgery for spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis happens when the space inside the spinal canal shrinks. This puts pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves that travel through the spinal canal. It commonly occurs lower back, which for Dean was in his lumbar spine. The condition is often caused by age-related wear and tear. Some people have no symptoms. Unfortunately for Dean, that was not the case. After suffering with symptoms for a year and a half, he shares, “I could hardly walk a couple of weeks before the surgery.” Dean and Phyllis Shoff The Shoffs live on a farm in Flora, Ind. Although retired, Dean still takes care of the chickens. He had to stop taking care of them last summer because it was just too painful. He was relying heavily on a walker to get around. ‘Spinal stenosis can lead to the slow but steady loss of strength in the legs,” explains Rayhan Jalal, MD, FRCSC, orthopedics and sports medicine surgeon who operated on Dean at Arnett
